McClelland Frog Morton Across the Pond

This is a bit less "vinegary" than the original Frog Morton. It's slightly stronger and more complex than FM, too, mostly due to the difference in latakia and addition of the Orientals, which offers some wood and spice. As they use Syrian latakia, this is smokier, dryer and a little more woodsy in taste than it would be if Cyprian was used. The dark fruit and citrus Virginia forms the base of the blend, and also offers a little grass and earth. The nic-hit is just past the mild level. Needs some drying time as does all the Frog blends, but it burns pretty decently at a moderate rate, though it leaves a little moisture in the bowl, and requires some relights. The flavor is consistent from top to bottom. Won't bite, and has no dull or harsh spots. The after taste lingers just a little.

-JimInks

Right off the bat I need to state that I've never smoked a blend using Syrian latakia before. Perhaps that is what is throwing me for a loop on this one.

A bit lighter in color than the original Frog and with a coarser cut, this has that delicious McClelland scent in the tin - mostly virginia. But what an odd tasting blend! Like the original Frog and Frog On The Bayou, there's something there that shouldn't be or something not there that should. I'm wondering if I don't care for Syrian latakia. But I found this one to be the least tasty of the Frog series, unless a very strange flavor should be counted.

I'm going to cellar a small amount of this and try it later after I've tried a few other Syrian blends. I'll update this review then if there's anything new to say. As it stands, I cannot easily recommend this unless you're certain Syrian latakia is to your taste.

By far and away to me the most compelling of all the Frog Morton flavors. For the most part this is a simple straight-forward lightly nuanced Latakia mixture and it’s quite mild, even by McClelland’s standards. However, it’s the Latakia in this one that makes it so special and sets it apart from the other FM blends.

I swear this is On the Town with the Cyprian Lat replaced by McClelland’s Syrian and perhaps a few adjustments made to compensate for the change. I say this, because the two mixtures have some very similar traits. Altogether, this smokes soft and sweet, but it has a beautiful wine-like bottom note provided by the Syrian that adds a whole other layer of complexity. I also find this to be a touch more smoky than other Frog flavors but the smokiness is nicely balanced by McClelland’s classic sweet fermented Virginia along with the toasty marshmallow like flavor that I found in FM on the Town. It's truly a wonderful combination of quality tobaccos.

This is a great anytime mixture and I will surely be putting a few tins of this away.

This is far and away my favorite of the Froggie series. The Syrian Latakia is layered delicately throughout the ribbon cut Virginia and Oriental leaves and this makes for a mildly sweet yet well balanced smoke. Not much power here, but certainly a fun puff for times when gentleness in your Latakia fix is desired.

FMATP has a light, patent McClelland "ketchup" tin aroma over a light English base. It has a sweet spice fragrance of smoke and raisins. The tin aroma is much sweeter and fragrant than FM. FMATP has a fruity aromatic black cavendish casing, making it an aromatic English blend; an outstanding aromatic to English crossover blend.

It's a very mild blend that is a break from heavier Latakia blends and for those who don't like blends like Dunhill's My Mixture 965 because its's too heady and robust.

Thick, wide, rough-cut ribbon which is sticky when new. Using fingertip concentrations and gravity makes it easy to pack. The brown predominates the black tobacco.

Using new tobacco, it leaves moisture in the pipe, with gurgle in the bowl. Something in the FM series keeps the Frogs from drying out-left uncovered, it doesn't dry quickly. When allowed to dry, it filled the room with that "ketchup-clove" smell. This was done for several hours and it became fairly, maybe half, dry, and still required a bit of frantic puffing to keep it lit. That way, the tobacco tended to burn all the way to the bottom with one relight.

FMATP is a "remarkably cool-smoking" tobacco that non-smokers would not find much to object to. It does not have a strong taste or aroma. Is this a Latakia blend? Where's the Latakia? There is a touch of sweet, creamy, light-brown Syrian Latakia with black stoved VA.

There is an initial sweetness of cavendish, then a smokey spiciness of Syrian Latakia mid-bowl, but not a lot of this taste or aroma. It has such a sweet taste, it may have been sweetened, with the Latakia providing a nice, low, smokey effect. It is much sweeter than FM.

FMATP has a rather sweet, carmel taste and aroma, tempered with soft, smokey Syrian Latakia.

There is not much to the room note, leaving a subtle woodsy and sweet raisin scent. The mildness would indeed make it an everyday smoke.

The nicotine content is low, and like FM, I got little tongue bite, but rather mild lip scour.

Though McClelland is a venerable American pipe tobacco manufacturer, and they do offer excellent, pure, unadulterated smoking products, they have never been one of my personal favorites. For one thing, I?m not a lover of straight Virginia tobaccos, which is the staple of the McClelland line. For another, McClellands are all too reminiscent of one another. Many seem to taste and smell conspicuously similar, i.e., that characteristically barbequed ketchup aroma in the tin and a bowl that requires all too many frustrating relights and frantic puffing to keep it going. They are also notoriously expensive, and their offerings come in 100g tins, not 50, making it a costly mistake if you don?t happen to like your selection. There is something magnificent about pulling the ring off a tin of McClelland, but unfortunately, the few blends I have tried have promised much more than they delivered. Even the Christmas Cheer, which I was fortunate to sample at a local tobacconist, left me flat & disappointed. Judging by the number of unsold tins, others must agree.

Frog Morton Across the Pond is the exception to this rule. While it still has that characteristically McClelland aroma, this is a much more subtle and complex blend of stoved and red Virginias with hints of latakia for added warmth; a perfect campfire or fireplace blend on a cold winter night. It smells invitingly nice in the tin, and the room note is pleasant and woodsy with hints of raisin, fig and sweet spice. The tobaccos are loose and thickly cut into fat ribbons with plenty of sticky wholesomeness. This is a real wide American cut tobacco. Like other McClellands, this mixture will not dazzle you on the first light. You have to be patient and get midway down the bowl to realize the fragrant spices and subtleties. Really, though, it takes about two or three bowls to appreciate this fine blend with its unusual appeal. Since I enjoy full English blends ala 965 or Durbar, this isn?t one of my all time favorites, but it is an excellent change of pace when I want a lighter, less forward tasting smoke. This is at the top of the McClelland?s heap, and perhaps the best of the Frog Morton line, though On the Town makes it a tough call. Thanks to Frog, I've become an enthuasiast of many of McClelland?s fine mixtures. I am curious about British Woods. I plan on trying that soon and then will add my two cents.

Four and a half of five stars

Bingo! I'm always looking for a good English tobacco. Dunhill 965 and Perfection are the gold standards of English tobacco in my opinion. I smoked a pipe of Across the Pond today and guess what? Across the Pond joins 965 and Perfection as perfect 4.0 English tobaccos. Yummy!

I just want to say that all of the hype regarding the Frog Morton blends is definitely warranted. This is a splendid example of a great English. The Syrian Latakia is smooth. Maybe it's just me, but it seems more "buttery" and less spicy, all while producing a smokey flavor and aroma. It's different, but it's a GOOD different. The other tobaccos behave very nicely with this blend as well, allowing a bit of sweetness to present itself. I consider this a light English, and I could certainly see myself smoking it all day long (I have done this, in fact). If it were available in bulk, I'd be stocking up. I highly recommend this to those getting started with English blends as well as those who are looking for something lighter and a bit different from the gamut of other English blends. It's definitely a keeper for me.

This was the first Frog I tried, and so far remains my favorite of the series. The original was too unbalanced toward latakia; this one is much more interesting and I am still picking out different flavors and characters. I like my latakia as a team player, and they got it right on this one. A good blend for smoking when you have nothing else on your mind and the time to go slowly. It's a shame some smokers are put off by the cute Frog cans and the literary character on them. It's just marketing. Dump it in a nameless pouch, let it dry and breathe a while and try to ignore the name. A fine smoke. This mixture is leading me into other V/L/O blends I doubt I would have tried otherwise.

Update 8/05: I felt compelled to upgrade this to a full 4-star. It improves after being opened and has become my go-to baccy. Love this stuff! It's wrestling with FMOTT for my favorite amphibious smoke and is currently winning. For some reason, this remains readily available despite the Syrian latakia component. Bless McClelland for their stores of it; I will sorely miss this when they are depleted.

This is a wonderful blend! I do not smoke throughout the day, but if I did, this would probably be my baseline. It has an elegant, even winey sweetness that carries straight through from beginning to end. It burns cool, and still works if it's a little too wet or dry. This is the blend I will usually offer to friends who are not diehard pipe smokers, or who are new to the art. By no means am I a connoisseur of tobaccos, but I like what I am tasting here! The Syrian Latakia makes this blend immensely smooth. The Virginias layer in very nicely, and the Orientals lend precisely enough depth to make Frog Morton Across the Pond familiar and fragrant, even if not complex or groundbreaking.